This invention relates to a connector which is suitable for use in making a branch connection to a trunk line for example in the manner which is required in a blasting system. The scope of the invention is however not confined to this application.
Connections to establish a blasting system are often made under difficult conditions. For example in an underground location lighting may be poor and accessibility may be limited. It is not always possible to make branch connections to a trunk line beforehand and in many instances such connections are made on site. The person making the connections may, in many cases, be guided more by feel than by sight and a connector which is usable in this way is therefore desirable.
A second factor which is important, particularly in poor lighting conditions, is the need to determine that a physical connection of the branch line to the trunk line has been made and that the connector has been correctly assembled. A connector which facilitates this determination is also desirable.
The invention provides a connector which includes a first component, conductive terminal means which is mounted to the first component and to which, in use of the connector, first conductor means which traverses the first component are connectable and second conductor means which extends from the first component at a defined location are connectable, a second component, hinge means which connects the first component to the second component so that the second component is movable from a first position at which the terminal means is exposed to a second position at which the second component overlies the first component and covers the terminal means, and catch means on the second component for releasibly securing the second component in the second position to the first component, wherein the catch means includes a tab which extends away from the second component and which is positioned so that in use it extends over the second conductor means at the defined location.
The catch means may be of any appropriate type and preferably has a flexible nature so that it is distorted as the second component is moved to the second position and, when the second component reaches the second position, the catch means is restored to its original non-distorted configuration due to its inherent resilience or memory.
The connector may be made from any suitable material and preferably is made from an appropriate plastics material with the desired qualities of toughness and resilience.
The tab may extend from a neck which projects from the second component and a hook formation may extend from the neck, preferably in an opposite direction to the direction in which the tab extends.
The second component may include any appropriate formation with which the hook formation is engageable. The first component may for example include an undercut formation such as a rib with which the hook is engageable.
The components may include respective surfaces which are brought into intimate abutting engagement with each other when the second component is moved to the second position. As has been indicated the second component is engaged with the first component at the second position preferably with a snap action which is generated by the catch means. This snap action ensures that the said surfaces are brought into abutting engagement with sufficient force to ensure that an audible sound is generated. To enhance this sound the invention, in a preferred embodiment, provides that at least one of the components includes at least one resonating chamber. The audible sound, which may be in the nature of a percussive click, is then generated and enhanced by the resonating or reverberating chamber.
Also according to the invention, there is provided a connector which includes two components, hinge means which connects the components together and which allows relative movement of the components, terminal means on one connector to which at least a branch line conductor and a trunk line conductor are electrically connectable, catch means which enables the components to be secured to each other with a snap action and with one component overlying the other component, and a tab, for releasing the catch means, which extends over the branch line conductor when the components are secured to each other.
The invention also provides a method of electrically connecting a trunk line conductor to a branch line conductor which includes the steps of electrically connecting the trunk and branch line conductors to a terminal, and enclosing the terminal inside two components which are interengageable with a snap action which simultaneously causes the generation of an audible sound.